About

Take Five?

You’ve no doubt heard the song that inspired our name. A tune in 5/4 time Paul Desmond wrote for the Dave Brubeck Quartet as a feature for drummer Joe Morello. It appeared on the album Time Out in 1959. The smoky eccentric swing of the ride cymbal, the dark blue chords of the piano and bass vamp, and finally the long, lyrical melody line of the alto saxophone made it one of those rare instrumental pieces that instantly become popular throughout our culture. The tune sets a definite mood, like an inviting space where you can meet a friend for a cup of good coffee or a glass of wine. We love all kinds of music, but we took Take Five for our name because we want a place that evokes that mood.

Books and Games

We have a bookcase full of books for you to read while you’re visiting us, and you’re welcome to take one with you when you leave. Please bring it back when you’re done.

We also have a selection of games to play while you’re in the shop, including chess, checkers, dominoes, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit and tiddly winks.

Why we don’t have TV

There are lots of places we can all go to watch TV, but not many where we can get away from it.

The flickering colored light of a TV monitor has a mesmerizing effect that can distract you from a conversation. It’s hard to resist. Sometimes you just want to sit and talk, or sit and think, or sit and read, or just sit and rest with a cup of fantastic coffee. Someplace with a little less distraction.

How it began

Take Five Coffee + Bar is a one-of-a-kind, locally owned coffee house and jazz listening room in Overland Park, Kansas. We opened in January 2010, in the middle of a blizzard in the middle of a recession, with the goal of creating a place where people could gather for good coffee by day and cocktails in the evenings. Six months later we stumbled into Kansas City’s incredible jazz music scene and fell in love.

With the move in October 2014 to Corbin Park at 135th and Metcalf in Overland Park, we built out the space with a stage, a sound system, a house piano and drumkit, and close attention to the acoustics of the room. As a result, we think Take Five is now one of the best performance spaces you’ll find anywhere.

The move also allowed us to add a full kitchen so we can offer a menu of healthy comfort food including all-day breakfast, bistro sandwiches and music night dinner specials along with our signature pastries and desserts.